What we do
The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the important gap remaining in the availability and
accessibility of
data in Africa. There is an unprecedented need for aggregated and disaggregated data, to
help governments and
non-governmental organizations respond to this global crisis. In this context, data remains a strategic
asset. It can support decision makers in informing policies and planning, and
help identify the most
vulnerable groups in order to leave no one behind.
The HERA Covid-19 Data Project started in March 2020 to respond to the pandemic in Africa.
The main goal was
to gather subnational and national data at the African continent scale to make Covid-19
related data more accessible to different actors.
In April 2020, we partnered up with the Humanitarian Data Exchange, the humanitarian data platform of
UNOCHA (United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs). We support governments,
non-governmental organizations and research institutes to evaluate and anticipate the spread and impact of
Covid-19 in Africa.
Analyzing datasets about Covid-19 can lead to a more proactive response to the pandemic at the local level.
HERA strongly believes that local actors need to be provided with reliable information to respond more
efficiently and appropriately to the crisis. In the meantime, international organizations, researchers and
national governments need to be engaged in the evaluation and analysis of the Covid-19 impact to allow more
efficient policies and decisions.
